Mocha Protein Oats and Summer Escapes with Lavazza

Coffee. My one true love. Okay, my husband is alright too but if I could marry coffee…just sayin’. When I was recently contacted by Lavazza to join their Canadian Lavazza Passionista Network, it didn’t take me long to say, HECK YES!

At the heart of Lavazza’s story is a single family’s passion for coffee. Beginning with Luigi Lavazza in 1895, four generations of the Lavazza family have devoted themselves to continuous improvement, innovation, and sharing of authentically Italian coffee experiences.

The #1 selling coffee in Italy, a global brand, and a recognized leader in Italian espresso – Lavazza is still family owned and operated, remaining as dedicated as ever to bringing people around the world the authentic Italian coffee experience.

Being a Lavazza Passionista means I’ll be bringing you loads of coffee delicousness over the coming months. For July, we’re talking perfect summer escapes and for me, that means having plenty of coffee to fuel my adventures!

In the summer months, my husband and I love to check out local music festivals and we kicked off this year at the Pemberton Music Festival just 30 minutes north of Whistler, BC.

We stayed in Whistler rather than camping so we could enjoy a. our morning Lavazza coffee, b. a real bed, c. air conditioning, d. a pool and most importantly, e. daily showers. And we’d just prefer to come back to a nice, quite, cool place after being out and about in the heat and crowds all day.

I love my coffee many different ways but most mornings it’s a simple cup of black Lavazza Perfetto to begin my day. If I’m heading in for an early morning workout, I like to blend it with some MCT oil and a splash of almond milk for the energy to fuel my workout.

I also love using Lavazza coffee in recipes and to make delicious iced and almond milk lattes at home. They’re so easy to make there is really no need to spend $5 at your local coffee shop! Instead, spend $5 on a milk frother and make all your non-dairy latte dreams come true.

Obviously, the day we headed up to Whistler I started my day with a big Lavazza Perfetto almond milk latte. Simply brew your Lavazza coffee, I like it strong! Then top it off with warm frothed almond milk. So darn good. A sprinkling of cinnamon and cocoa powder really takes it next level!

We rented a little condo in the Whistler village with a full kitchen so we could make breakfast and lunch before heading to the festival each day. I’m not really a fan of going out for breakfast anyways, restaurants don’t typically cater to vegan breakfast-goers and I usually end up with oats, something I can make at home! I also prefer to have something a bit lighter in the mornings rather than a big, greasy breakfast.

That being said, it’s always nice to have something a little more decadent when you’re on holidays, so I made these delicious mocha protein oats to start my days with. I used the Lavazza Perfetto coffee to make these. I wanted something healthy, filling and high in protien but something that tasted a little more exciting than my everyday bowl of oatmeal.

I’d say topping this with chocolate chips really helped seal the deal in the decadence department. I also love chocolate and strawberries together, so I’d definitely recommend the sliced strawberry topping. Sliced banana and raspberry also make a yummy topping!

Ingredients

optional: sweetener of choice such as stevia, maple syrup or brown sugar

Topping Ideas:

non-dairy chocolate chips

sliced banana

sliced strawberries

shredded coconut

Instructions

To make these as overnight oats, add all the ingredients to a sealed container, shake well and place in the fridge overnight.

To make in the microwave, place all the ingredients in a bowl, stir well and cook on high for 1-2 minutes.

To make on the stove top, add all the ingredients to a small saucepan and cook over medium heat for 3-5 minutes.

Once it’s cooked, add your toppings of choice and enjoy!

As for festivals, there are a few reasons why I love them with all my heart. First, the music. All those bands, all in one place, all the good vibes, it’s just the best. Second, the fashion. If I could wear festival outfits all day, every day, I 100% would.

Third, the people. Everyone is always so friendly, in such a great mood and just having the time of their lives. And finally, beer, food and sunshine, all contributors to one of my favourite summer pastimes.

I don’t think I’ll ever stop going to festivals, I’m definitely starting to feel older at them already but we just chill on a blanket near the back, enjoy the music and have a great time. Nothing wrong with that.

Next up, in just a few days, I’ll be chatting about one of my other favourite summer pastimes, hiking! We are super fortunate to live in a city where we have access to some of the most spectacular mountains and backcountry hiking in the world. I whipped up some Lavazza coffee-powered energy bars to take on our last hike, so be sure to check back for the recipe as well as some of my favourite hiking spots around Vancouver.

In the meantime, you’ll want to head over to the Lavazza Facebook page to see what the other Lavazza Passionista’s are up to. You can also visit the Lavazza Passionista Pinterest page for some serious drool-worth coffee love.

Comments

omg Music Festivals are my favorite! First of all, I love concerts, I just can’t get enough (my husband can!). But when a concert gets spread over 2 days of outdoor fun than I am in heaven! Anyhow, I know that’s not the total point of this post but it’s got me all looking forward to my next show! Thank you for the recipe, it looks delicious. I do love my coffee and am half Italian but never tried LaVazza